1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to dispensing inflatable structures, and in particular to dispensing connected inflatable structures using a dispensing device and an associated system and method.
2. Description of Related Art
Inflatable structures constitute an important part of the packaging industry. Inflatable structures are commonly used as cushions to package items, either by wrapping the items in the inflatable structures and placing the wrapped items in a shipping container, or by simply placing one or more inflatable structures inside of a shipping container along with an item to be shipped. The cushions protect the packaged item by absorbing impacts that might otherwise be fully transmitted to the packaged item during transit, and also restrict movement of the packaged item within the container to further reduce the likelihood of damage to the item.
Inflatable packaging has an advantage over non-inflatable packaging in that inflatable packaging may require less raw material to manufacture it. Further, it is known within the art to make inflatable packaging such that it is inflatable on demand. Inflate-on-demand packaging allows the entity using the packaging materials to wait and inflate the packaging materials when needed, such as when shipping an item in a shipping container, as described above. This means that inflate-on-demand packaging materials occupy less space as compared to pre-inflated packaging materials, which makes them easier to store. Additionally, transportation of the packaging materials to the entity using them to package items can be less expensive than it would be if the packaging materials were already inflated because they can be shipped in significantly smaller containers.
Despite the advantages of inflate-on-demand packaging, there is still room for improvement within the art. In this regard, the persons who use the inflatable structures to package items may desire that the inflatable structures be provided to them in a rapid, yet controlled manner during the packaging process. Further, some embodiments of inflatable structures are connected and thus the packaging person may need to separate the inflatable structures at desired intervals. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention are configured to provide the inflatable containers to persons in a manner which facilitates use of the inflatable structures in packaging and other applications.